Pleasures of Horror

Matthew Hills is a Lecturer in the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Wales, Cardiff. He is the author of Fan Cultures.

• Part 1 In theory - academic interpretations of pleasure: Cognition... and Affect; Hesitation... and Shock; Restoration... and Repetition. Part 2 Para-sites - outside the horror genre: TV Horror; True Horror; Theory Horror; Part 3 'Scare quotes' - within the field of horror: Intertextuality in the Contemporary Field of Horror (I) -- The "Postmodern" Fictions of Kim Newman; Intertextuality in the Contemporary Field of Horror (II) -- The "Postmodern" Scream Franchise; Intertextuality in the Contemporary Field of Horror (III) -- The "Postmodern" Signs of M. Night Shyamalan. Part 4 In practices - fan interpretations for pleasure: Displaying Connoisseurship; Recognising Craftsmanship; Challenging Censorship; Conclusion - The "Problem" of the Displeasures of Horror.

"Matt Hills's newest book is a useful addition to the body of theoretical work surrounding the circulation and reception of horror texts...The first part of the book is devoted to an extremely thorough examination of—and refutation of—existing theories dealing with the horror genre...He provides an interesting and insightful examination of the horror-fan subculture as it manifests through censorship debates and online postings. His discussion of postings to horror-related message boards is particularly useful, as this is an area that has not been widely explored by theorists to date...this book contains a good deal of useful analysis and information...Hills's thorough explications of existing horror theory are particularly valuable, making the book not only interesting for the new insights into horror theory that it provides but also useful for anyone interested in gaining an overview of existing theories surrounding the horror genre." -Beth A. Kattelman, Cultural Critique, 2009